Stand By Me

Sermon by: Rev. Frank Yates

John 14:23-29

Paraclete-it’s a borrowed Greek word. That’s why it is so easily misunderstood. In my youth, I heard preachers use that word all the time. They said that upon his departure Jesus promised to send the Paraclete. Now as a youth I daydreamed through most sermons-didn’t everyone? So it is not surprising that I thought I heard Jesus promise to send us a parakeet. But why a parakeet, I wondered? Actually, we already had a little green parakeet and it was more trouble than you can imagine. So Jesus’ promise was terribly puzzling to me-why, of all things, a parakeet?

But Jesus does in fact promise that upon his return to the Father, he will send his disciples the Paraclete. Oddly enough, the Paraclete has a close connection with another bird-the dove. You remember that the Spirit descended upon Jesus at his baptism like a dove. So maybe after all there was something to my imagining that Jesus would send us, yes, a bird! Indeed, the Spirit-the very life of Christ within us-would descend upon us like a winged creature from heaven. Amazing!

The Gospel of John alone calls the Spirit the Paraclete on five different occasions. The word Paraclete literally means “one called alongside to help.” There have been many different English renderings of this word: advocate, champion, helper, friend, comforter, counselor, teacher, guide. Jesus promises that the Paraclete will stand beside us and help us. Christ will stand with us in Spirit. That is our Lord’s sacred promise.

The Gospel of John, from near the end of the first century, was written for those who had lost the first generation of Christian leaders, including the “Beloved Disciple.” There was anxiety and fear among the believers. So this Gospel relates the story of the Risen Christ standing among his astonished disciples and breathing upon them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The Paraclete now would live within them giving hope and courage. They need not fear abandonment. Christ will be with them. And his Spirit will be with us as well.

And thus the great importance of our standing with those who feel abandoned, like a motherless child. We stand with others just as Christ stands by us. In a great rhythm and blues song called “Stand by Me” Ben E. King sings about the enormous comfort of someone standing with you:

When the night has come and the land is dark,

And the moon is the only light we’ll see,

No, I won’t be afraid, no, I won’t be afraid,

Just as long as you stand by me.

So every time we stand by others, holding them lovingly in our arms, holding them firmly in our prayers, the Paraclete continues to move among us. It happens when we stand with the despised and forgotten. It happens when we stand with our beloved friends and family.

If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall

Or the mountains should crumble to the sea,

I won’t cry, no, I won’t shed a tear,

Just as long as you stand by me.

In our congregation we have committed sisters and brothers who stand by the despised and forgotten. Our dear brother in Christ Lane Leckman has demonstrated what it means to be a deacon, one who serves those in need. In the fall of 2017 Lane volunteered to do a psychiatric evaluation of some young men from the Democratic Republic of the Congo detained at the Cibola Prison in Grants. These men had committed no crime. They had arrived at the Texas border and asked for legal asylum. One of these young men is named Bokole, who was arrested after protesting against the Congolese dictator President Kabila. Two of his colleagues were also arrested, tortured and then shot to death in front of him. Bokole was also tortured, but through the kindness of a guard, miraculously escaped.

Bokole then fled his homeland arriving on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Passing through the jungles of Columbia he met up with another ex-patriot named Honore who had also been arrested and tortured in the Congo. Together they made their way through the dangers of Nicaragua and Mexico, finally presenting themselves for asylum at El Paso. In our system certain asylum seekers are put in private prisons until their cases are heard. Both Bokole and Honore were suffering from PTSD when Lane examined them with the help of translators. French is not their primary language but they do speak and write it. And thus Lane has been helped by translators along the way, including his wife Deborah Hall. Another of our deacons Virginia Belk has also written Bokole and Honore letters in French.

Now these two asylum seekers have been transferred to a private prison east of El Paso in Sierra Blanca, Texas. It is a bleak situation for them and much harder for Lane and Deborah to visit these men now detained for two years, their cases on appeal. Unfortunately, asylum cases are handled quite differently depending on where the court is located. Some courts deny virtually all asylum claims, regardless of how egregious the situation may be in their home countries. Some are more generous.

Sadly, these two young men face imminent deportation leading Bokole to desperation. He threatened to take his own life should he be sent back to the Congo. That landed him to solitary confinement and thus more suffering. Lane asked us to pray for Bokole and Honore and to write them a letter. So the church staff wrote them a letter and a friend translated it. They wrote us back an effusive letter expressing gratitude and thanks quoting Scripture as they struggle to keep their hopes alive. Both are deeply committed Christians, but this has been the greatest test of their lives and their faith.

After visiting them in Sierra Blanca on Good Friday Lane wrote to them quoting Romans 8, “The Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words….the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” At the conclusion of this sermon we will use the words of Romans 8 to remind us that we too are to intercede for one another, to stand by others in distress. This Lord’s Day I invite you to pray for Honore and Bokole and all the asylum seekers languishing in our prisons waiting for their day in court. Awaiting what we pray will be a fair and just hearing. Waiting, having never committed a crime, hoping for freedom.

When the night has come and the land is dark,

And the moon is the only light we’ll see,

No, I won’t be afraid, no, I won’t be afraid,

Just as long as you stand by me.

Likewise, many here in our congregation stand by those they love, family and friends in need of care. Caregivers know what it means to stand by and hope and pray. It can be an exhausting and heart breaking ministry, but God knows it is absolutely critical. Sometimes we simply look around and ask ourselves, “If I don’t extend care, who will?” The needs of our loved ones and friends present themselves as an opportunity but also a difficult challenge.

Here at First Presbyterian many of you care for those you love, and God bless you for responding. It can often be a lonely and poignant ministry. It requires much love, much patience, and much support. Thank God we have in our congregation support for our caregivers and the luncheons for them are so much appreciated. I have watched my beloved wife of 34 years take on a caregiving role for her 91 year-old dad who is suffering from a form of dementia. Don is an Army veteran of the Korean War era. On this Memorial Day Weekend, we honor those who have served and especially those who have given their lives for our country.

Don and I met in the doctoral program at Austin Seminary in the early 80’s. Don struck me as very quick and very funny, which shines through on occasion still. But you all know how the dementia changes a person and how it changes the whole family dynamic. It has been hard to watch Don go through times of forgetfulness and frustration. But Hilda his beloved wife of 61 years has cared for him compassionately and lovingly. And so have Sharon’s three siblings, who have all rallied to provide care and support. But I have also seen the toll such care exacts from everyone. And that is why the caregivers need our love and support as well. We need to stand with our friends and loved ones who suffer. And we need to stand with those who give so much to those they love.

If the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall

Or the mountains should crumble to the sea,

I won’t cry, no, I won’t shed a tear,

Just as long as you stand by me.

Jesus our Lord promised that we would never be alone or abandoned, that he would be with us in Spirit, the Paraclete. Truly Christ stands faithfully with us and intercedes for us and loves us. And so we in the Spirit of Christ stand by the despised and forgotten as well as those we love and cherish. And always this is our prayer, “Lord, I won’t be afraid, no, I won’t be afraid, just as long as you stand by me. Amen.”

By Faith

Thought and Prayers

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THE MISSION OF FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Good News that makes a difference in the world.
“To bring good news to the poor,
To proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.
To let the oppressed go free,
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” LUKE 4:18